By Philip Buda Ladu
A Member of Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) has voiced concerns over the alarming reports of encroachment into South Sudan by Ugandans.
Speaking during Tuesday’s sitting, John Agany Deng representing Aweil East County, Northern Bahr El Ghazal State called for immediate government intervention.
On Monday of this week, No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper reported that the Ugandan national army, the UPDF, arrested locals in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State, bordering Moyo district of Uganda.
The army detained farmers who were tending to their gardens in the border area.
According to local accounts, those arrested were beaten and detained for about two hours by the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers, who claimed they were farming on Ugandan land.
Meanwhile, MP Agany urged the government’s action to protect the territorial boundaries of the country from being encroached into.
Agany, who stood to echo the urgent matter of national interest, said he wanted to inform the house about “our regional neighbours,” the East African member states, especially Uganda and Kenya.
“Our territories are being encroached on every day, and we have been raising this again and again,” Agany echoed.
He underscored that in the last motion on the same border issue, which was raised by one MP, the House passed a resolution for the way forward.
“Through the speaker, it was said that we would constitute a committee, which will go to carry out facts-finding for the encroachment and any border-related incidences that are taking place there, and then the committee will report back to the house,” Agany stated.
For the past month, South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) soldiers were reportedly arrested and are currently under detention by Ugandan authorities for allegedly encroaching into the Ugandan area.
The legislator further acknowledged that insecurity has been on the rise in those border areas.
“We shouldn’t be keeping quiet when we are being interfered with,” MP Agany blasted.
He questioned why Uganda should turn against South Sudan after the two nations have a good long bilateral history, stating that “why today at this moment they thought that South Sudan should be something that people can laugh at?
“I am raising this as a concerned citizen of this country, and I need this issue to be addressed as soon as possible. If the committee was constituted or not, let us revive it and make it active,” Agany urged the house.
The lawmaker reiterated that Uganda has to be reminded of our historical ties.
“When it comes to our defense, we will have to defend the territorial position of South Sudan,” Agany continued. “We will not allow anybody to intrude in, and by the way, if it means that we will have to face this, we will tie our bellies despite the economic crisis and regain our places.
In response, TNLA Speaker Rt. Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba acknowledged the importance of the matter but said the house will discuss it in detail when the relevant concerned ministers are summoned to the house.
Of course, the issue of borders is a concern, and South Sudan’s foreign policy calls for peaceful resolution of conflicts,” Nunu stated. “So I am sure the two countries know the history and can always sit together and resolve the problem amicably.”
“So that would be discussed in detail when we call the ministers,” she added.